JPH098093A - Supply equipment of semiconductor substrate in semiconductor substrate machining installation - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To lengthen the time capable of continuous automatic operation, in a semiconductor substrate machining installation wherein a transfer stand for transferring semiconductor substrates in a magazine for carriage to a magazine for equipment is installed in a load part, and an unload part for returning the substrates to the magazine for carriage is installed. CONSTITUTION: A stock stand 7 for loading a plurality of magazines for carriage is installed. A transferring mechanism 10 which transfers the magazines for carriage from the stock stand to a transferring stand, from it to an unload part, and from it to the stock stand is installed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention supplies a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon wafer used in the manufacture of semiconductor parts to a semiconductor substrate processing facility for performing various processes such as film formation on the semiconductor substrate. It relates to the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a plurality of semiconductor substrates, such as silicon wafers, used in the manufacture of semiconductor components are stored in a carrying magazine in multiple stages, and a plurality of carrying magazines containing semiconductor substrates are carried for carrying. While being mounted on a carrier, they are sequentially transported between various semiconductor substrate processing equipment.

Therefore, conventionally, in a semiconductor substrate processing facility for performing various processes such as film formation on a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon wafer, a transfer table is provided at a loading portion at an entrance of one end of the equipment. When one transfer magazine containing semiconductor substrates on the transfer carrier is placed on this transfer table, all the semiconductor substrates in this transfer magazine are transferred to the device magazine all at once, so that The semiconductor substrates in the magazine are sent to the semiconductor substrate processing equipment one by one, and the transport magazine emptied in the transfer table is transferred to the unload section at the other end of the semiconductor substrate processing equipment,
In this unloading section, the semiconductor substrates after processing are sequentially returned to the empty transport magazine in a multi-stage manner, and each transport magazine is placed on another transport carrier, while the transport table is placed on the transfer table. It is configured to repeat placing the next magazine for carrying a semiconductor substrate on the carrier for carrying.

That is, in the conventional apparatus, the magazine for transportation is not stocked at the location of the semiconductor substrate processing equipment, and at the loading part at one end of the semiconductor substrate processing equipment, it is mounted on the transfer table or as a carrier for transportation. While transferring the carried magazines one by one from the carrier for carrying on the transfer table in the loading section,
In the unloading section at the other end of the semiconductor substrate processing equipment, the carrying magazine that has received the processed semiconductor substrate is transferred from the unloading section to another carrying carrier.

[0005]

Therefore, in the prior art, the carrying magazine is transferred from the carrying carrier to the transfer table in the loading section, and the carrying magazine is unloaded in the unloading section. Since it is not possible to automatically transfer from one carrier to another carrier, and these transfer operations are performed manually by the operator, the semiconductor substrate processing equipment can be continuously operated in an unattended state. Since the time that can be automatically operated is limited to the relatively short time required to process each semiconductor substrate stored in one transport magazine, there is a problem that the work efficiency is considerably low. there were.

An object of the present invention is to provide a supply device capable of greatly extending the time during which the semiconductor substrate processing equipment can be continuously and automatically operated in an unmanned state.

[0007]

In order to achieve this technical object, the present invention provides a "transfer at the entrance of one end for transferring semiconductor substrates housed in multiple stages in a transfer magazine into an apparatus magazine. In a semiconductor substrate processing facility comprising a loading unit equipped with a replacement table, and an unloading unit for returning the processed semiconductor substrate to the transport magazine at the outlet of the other end, a plurality of the transport magazines are provided. A stock table for loading is provided, and the transport magazine is transferred from the stock table to the transfer table, from the transfer table to the unload section, and from the unload section to the stock table. The transfer mechanism is provided. "

[0008]

[Operation] In this configuration, when each of the plurality of transport magazines mounted on the transport carrier is transferred to the stock table, the transfer mechanism causes one of the plurality of transport magazines on the stock table to be transferred. One transport magazine is transferred from the stock table to the transfer table in the loading section. Then, the semiconductor substrates stored in the transfer magazine on the transfer table in multiple stages are simultaneously transferred to the apparatus magazine, and then one piece is transferred from the apparatus magazine to the semiconductor substrate processing equipment. Are sent one by one.

Then, the transport magazine emptied on the transfer table is transferred to the unload section by the transfer mechanism, and the semiconductor substrate after processing is sequentially returned to the unload section in a multistage manner. take. Next, the transfer mechanism transfers the next one transport magazine on the stock table from the stock table to the transfer table in the loading section, and returns the processed semiconductor substrate in a multi-stage form in the unloading section. The inserted magazine for transportation is returned to the stock table and transferred.

By repeating the above operation,
The semiconductor substrates stored in each of the transport magazines mounted on the stock table are processed. When this processing is completed and all the transport magazines are returned to the stock table, the stock table is While transferring each of the above-mentioned transportation magazines to the transportation carrier and carrying them out from the semiconductor substrate processing facility, on the stock table,
The above-mentioned operation is started after the plurality of transport magazines transported to the semiconductor substrate processing equipment while being placed on the next transport carrier are replaced.

[0011]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of transport magazines are placed on the stock table, and each of the transport magazines is transferred from the stock table to the semiconductor substrate processing facility by the transfer mechanism. To the transfer table in the loading section, and the transfer table is stored in each of the plurality of transfer magazines by transferring from the transfer table to the unload section in the semiconductor substrate processing equipment and from the unload section to the stock table. It supplies all semiconductor substrates to the semiconductor substrate processing equipment, performs predetermined processing, and then returns them to the original transport magazine.The semiconductor substrate processing equipment is continuously operated in an unattended state. The time required for automatic operation is the time required to process all semiconductor substrates stored in each of the plurality of transport magazines mounted on the stock table. Since it is possible to significantly extend, it has an effect of greatly improving the work efficiency.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings in the case where, for example, five transport magazines are handled at one time. In the figure, reference numeral 1 indicates a semiconductor substrate processing facility, and five transport magazines A are provided in a load section 2 at an inlet of one end of the semiconductor substrate processing facility 1.
1, A2, A3, A4, A5 are provided with a transfer table 4 for transferring silicon wafers stored in a multi-step manner to the apparatus magazine 3 all at once, and the semiconductor substrate processing facility 1 At the outlet of the other end, the processed silicon wafer is loaded with the above-mentioned transfer magazines A1, A2, A3, A4.
An unloading section 6 for returning to each A5 is provided.

Reference numeral 7 indicates a stock table arranged between the transfer table 4 and the unloading section 6 in the loading section 2, and the stock table 7 has, on the upper surface thereof, the five transport magazines. Four of the transport magazines A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 are arranged side by side in a line. Further, reference numeral 8 indicates a buffer table, and the buffer table 8 is separated from the transfer table 4 and a portion directly above the transfer table 4 about the support shaft 9 thereof. It is configured so that it can freely swivel between the parts.

Further, reference numeral 10 indicates that each of the carrying magazines A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5 is transferred from the stock table 7 to the transfer table 4 and from the transfer table 4 to the unload section 6. , A transfer mechanism for transferring from the unloading section 6 to the stock table 7 and the buffer table 8 respectively. The transfer mechanism 10 includes a supporting carriage 10a that reciprocates in the lateral direction, and a supporting carriage 10a. And a clamp 10b mounted so as to move up and down in the vertical direction.

In this structure, when a carrier (not shown) carrying the five carrier magazines A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5 is carried to the location of the semiconductor substrate processing facility 1, Of the five transport magazines A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 in the transport carrier, the first transport magazine A1 is placed on the transfer table 4, while the remaining second transport magazines A2 and third transport are used. The magazine A3, the fourth carrying magazine A4, and the fifth carrying magazine A5 are placed on the upper surface of the stock table 7.

Then, the silicon wafers stored in the first transfer magazine A1 in multiple stages on the transfer table 4 are transferred all at once to the apparatus magazine 3 and then from the apparatus magazine 3. It is sent to the semiconductor substrate processing equipment one by one. The first transport magazine A1 emptied on the transfer table 4 is clamped by the transfer mechanism 10 and then transferred to the unload section 6, where the processed silicon wafers are sequentially transferred. Take the posture to put it back in multiple stages.

Next, the transfer mechanism 10 clamps and transfers the second transport magazine A2 on the stock table 7 from the stock table 7 to the transfer table 4 in the load section 2, and the unload section 6 In a state in which the first transport magazine A1 in which the processed silicon wafers are put back in a multi-stage manner is clamped and is placed on the buffer table 8 and the buffer table 8 is located directly above the transfer table 4. (The buffer table 8 is swung so as to move away from directly above the transfer table 4 when the first transport magazine A1 is placed on the upper surface thereof.)
Do things and things.

When all the silicon wafers in the second transfer magazine A2 transferred by the transfer table 4 are transferred to the apparatus magazine 3 all at once, the transfer mechanism 10
Takes a state in which the second carrying magazine A2 is clamped, transferred to the unloading section 6, and the processed silicon wafers are sequentially returned to the unloading section 6 in a multistage manner.

Next, the transfer mechanism 10 clamps and transfers the third transport magazine A3 on the stock table 7 from the stock table 7 to the transfer table 4 in the loading section 2, and the unload section 6 In step 2, the second transport magazine A2 in which the processed silicon wafers are put back in a multi-stage manner is clamped and returned to the original position on the stock table 7.

Hereinafter, the above operation will be described with reference to the third transport magazine A.
3, 4th transport magazine A4 and 5th transport magazine A
5 is repeatedly performed to process the silicon wafers stored in each of the five transfer magazines A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 placed on the transfer table 4 and the stock table 7. To do,
After this processing is completed, all five transport magazines A1,
Of A2, A3, A4 and A5, the first carrying magazine A1
Is placed on the buffer table 8, while the remaining respective transport magazines A2, A3, A4, A5 are returned to the stock table 7, the buffer table 8
And magazines A1 and A1 for transport on the stock table 7
2, A3, A4, A5 are transferred to the carrier for transportation and carried out from the semiconductor substrate processing equipment 1.

As a result, the above-mentioned five transport magazines A
Supply all the silicon wafers stored in 1, A2, A3, A4, A5 one by one to the semiconductor substrate processing equipment, perform predetermined processing, and then put them back into each original transport magazine. Therefore, the semiconductor substrate processing equipment can be continuously and automatically operated in an unmanned state for a period of time for which the five transport magazines A1, A2 and
The time required to process all the silicon wafers stored in each of A3, A4 and A5 can be greatly extended.

It should be noted that, by using the buffer table 8 as in the above-described embodiment, the number of transport magazines that can be handled in one automatic continuous operation can be set on the stock table. Therefore, the operating time of one automatic continuous operation can be further extended because the number can be set to the number obtained by adding one extra transport magazine.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of II-II in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 semiconductor substrate processing equipment 2 load part 3 device magazine 4 transfer table 6 unloading part 7 stock table 8 buffer table 10 transfer mechanism A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 transfer magazine

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A loading unit having a transfer table for transferring semiconductor substrates housed in multiple stages in a transfer magazine to an apparatus magazine at an inlet at one end, and an outlet after processing at an outlet at the other end. In a semiconductor substrate processing facility, each of which is provided with an unloading unit for returning a semiconductor substrate into a transportation magazine, a stock table for mounting a plurality of the transportation magazines is provided, and the transportation magazine is stocked. A semiconductor in a semiconductor substrate processing facility, characterized in that a transfer mechanism is provided for transferring from a table to the transfer table, from the transfer table to the unload section, and from the unload section to the stock table. Substrate feeder.